Paris Hilton reveals reason behind her 'Barbie persona' as she details traumatic school years where she was 'mentally and sexually abused'

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Paris Hilton has revealed the real reason behind her 'Barbie doll' persona as she opened up about pasta trauma in a candid new interview on Wednesday.

The socialite, 44, explained that she built her 'character' as a way to escape her traumatic teenage years at a Utah boarding school.

Paris has alleged that she was 'physically and sexually abused' during her two years at Provo Canyon School after being sent to the institution by her parents when she was a rebellious teen. 

The mother-of-two admitted that she used the 'blonde dumb girl' character as a 'mask' to protect herself from the media asking about her 'traumatising' past. 

Speaking to Grazia magazine, she said: 'I had created this kind of Barbie doll, "perfect life", character to be like a mask. I didn't want to talk about certain things. People wouldn't even think to ask any traumatising questions. It was this whole protection over the pain.' 

The TV personality hopes she will now be called 'iconic' after she got the passing of The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act in December.

Paris Hilton has revealed the real reason behind her ' Barbie doll ' persona in a candid new interview on Wednesday; pictured 2004 

The socialite, 44, explained that she built her 'character' as a way to escape her traumatic teenage years at a Utah boarding school

She continued: 'I just couldn't keep silent anymore and it started me on this journey of self-discovery and healing and catharsis. It made me feel very strong that I had survived something so horrific. 

'In DC they'd never seen something pass so fast. I'm just really proud that I kept going back and telling my story. No one has done anything to protect these kids. It's not over yet I'm going to continue to fight because there's so much more to do. I hope that's why people call me iconic.'

Paris has travelled to Washington every six to 10 months starting in October 2021, lobbying Congress to reform youth residential treatment facilities.

She individually met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Tim Scott of South Carolina to advocate for the bill's passage.

The model had been 'doing a little girls, sister holiday shopping' in Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City on Wednesday when she learned that her bill had been passed by the Senate, she told ABC News.

She recalled how they were 'bawling, in tears, just so proud and so happy' by the news, but is now urging House lawmakers to bring the bill to the floor for a vote 'immediately.'

'When the US Senate came together in a rare show of unity to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act unanimously on Wednesday December 11th, it was one of the best moments of my life. It was proof that when we listen to survivors and put politics aside, we can create real, meaningful change,' Hilton wrote in her open letter.

'But this journey isn't over. I can't celebrate until this bill becomes law, and now it's up to the US House of Representatives to finish what the Senate started.'

Paris has alleged that she was 'physically and sexually abused' during her two years at Provo Canyon School after being sent to the institution by her parents when she was a rebellious teen; pictured 2000

The mother-of-two admitted that she used the 'blonde dumb girl' character as a 'mask' to protect herself from the media asking about her 'traumatising' past; pictured 2002

She said: 'I had created this kind of Barbie doll, "perfect life", character to be like a mask. People wouldn't even think to ask any traumatising questions. It was this whole protection over the pain'

She continued, 'To Leader Scalise, Speaker Johnson, and every member of the House: I urge you to think about the children who can't speak for themselves. They're relying on us - on you - to stand up for their safety and dignity. Passing this bill would be a testament to what we can achieve when we lead with empathy and courage.' 

Paris testified on Capitol Hill last year about the devastating experience she suffered at Provo Canyon School in Utah in the 1990s as she advocated for sweeping reforms to the foster and youth rehab system.

'When I was 16 years old, I was ripped from my bed in the middle of night and transported across state lines to the first of four residential facilities,' Hilton told the House Ways and Means Committee in June.

'For two years I was force-fed medications and sexually abused by the staff. I was violently restrained ... stripped naked, thrown in solitary confinement,' the Hilton hotels heiress went on.

Hilton said her parents had been 'completely manipulated' by the facilities and were unaware of the treatment she was enduring. In the past her parents had been 'conned' into believe her ADD could be fixed with 'tough love.'

'This $23billion-a-year industry sees this population as dollar signs and operates without meaningful oversight,' Hilton added.

She also revealed last year that her first sexual experience was non-consensual, when she was raped by an older man at the age of 15 after consuming a spiked drink.

At the time, Hilton was living with her grandmother in Palm Springs and would often visit the Westfield Century City shopping center in Los Angeles with her friends.

The TV personality hopes she will now be called 'iconic' after she got the passing of The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act in December

She continued: 'I just couldn't keep silent anymore and it started me on this journey of self-discovery and healing and catharsis. It made me feel very strong that I had survived something so horrific'; pictured at Capitol Hill 

She told to Glamour UK how older men would often hang around the stores and speak to them and one day they invited Paris and her friends back 'to their house'. 

Paris said she was offered 'berry wine coolers' to drink and one of the men was particularly forceful about getting her to drink it.

She said: 'When I had maybe one or two sips, I just immediately started feeling dizzy and woozy. I don't know what he put in there; I'm assuming it was a roofie [Rohypnol].'

The hotel heiress claimed she woke up several hours later knowing something bad had happened. She said: 'I remembered it. I have visions of him on top of me, covering my mouth, being like, "You're dreaming, you're dreaming," and whispering that in my ear.'

She added the experience made her feel ashamed and she went to boarding school in Utah for two years soon after where she claimed she was sexually abused after being forced to undergo cervical exams performed by staff members in the early hours of the morning while attending the school.